Thanks for all the suggestion, but it has to have an extension of .csv in
order to be imported into an accounting software. This will be done once a
month. I really don't care what it looks like. I am not importing this into
excel. After the file is exported out of one software program, I have to
open the file up - format the column and then I can import the file into
another accounting program. I guess I will just have to do that , it doesn't
take that long.

"Allllen" wrote:

Another solution is
instead of using File Open to open your .csv file
use Data Import external data Import data

This gives you the option to choose the format (delimited, comma), format as
text (not general).

--
Allllen


"klafert" wrote:

I have done this before but drawing a blank. I have a clolumn with "001" and
it is in a file sales.csv. I format the coumn the file in this manner:
Format = Style - Custom - and put in 3 zeros. It then displays the leading
zeros. But when I open the file it goes away. Then when I tried to import
the files and I get errors because the 001 doesnt matchl. However, If I do
the format and save then it will import. But this is a file that I import a
lot. I get the file from one program and have to open it to format it and
resave before I can import. I done this before and I thought there was an
options I had to set in Excel also. Any help?